“Evelyn would not like that tone,” I muttered, turning back toward my mom’s grave.
He rolled his eyes, crouched down, and set his bouquet in front of his mother. Then, after a beat, he plucked one flower out of it, a pale yellow daisy, and stuck it into the soil beside my mum’s lilies.
“So they can have one of each other’s,” he said, pretending to sound casual.
I stared at it for a second, then looked at him. “You came because you were driving past, didn’t you?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah. Saw your bike. Figured I’d check you weren’t crying or something.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “So if you didn’t see my bike, you wouldn’t have come?”
“Oh, fuck off,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’ve been busy. Some of us have actual lives, you know.”
“Right, right,” I said, grinning. “Busy not being sentimental, huh?”
He glanced at me, smirking just a little. “You talk to your mum as if she can hear you. I talk to mine in my head. Same thing.”
“Difference is I love my mom,” I said.
He shoved my shoulder lightly. “Fuck you, I love my mum too.”
Alex stared down at both graves, silent for a while before letting out a low sigh.
“Let’s go,” he muttered. “It’s gonna rain.”
I looked up at the clouds. He wasn’t wrong. But the air was calm, and I wasn’t ready to leave yet. “I’m fine with rain, itdoesn’t get to me anymore,” I said quietly. “Not really in the mood to rush as well.”
He groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Of course you’re not.”
Then I looked at him properly, really looked and laughed a bit at how stupid he looked. “Why the fuck are you in a suit? You look like a fucking funeral home CEO.”
He shot me a look. “I went to an event. Some of us heirs actually have businesses to run.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Good for you, Mr Grayson. Meanwhile, I’ve got an orphanage to run.”
“Which you chose,” he reminded me. “You could’ve taken your dad’s empire.”
“Yeah, no thanks,” I said. “Don’t wanna touch anything that man’s ever built.”
He smirked. “See, that’s the difference between you and me. I took my dad’s empire just to destroy his legacy. I’m gonna make it better than he ever did, so when people talk about Grayson Enterprises, they don’t rememberhim. They rememberme.”
I shook my head with a small laugh. “You’re such a bitter little bitch.”
He shrugged. “You’re just a coward.”
“Fuck you.”
“No thank you.”
I huffed a laugh and turned away, staring at our mothers’ graves again.
“Dinner?” he said, pulling out his car keys.
“You’re paying,” I said immediately.
“Ialwayspay,” he snapped.
“Exactly. Tradition.”
